


A Young Secret

by Time2dancecpj



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 14:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11381910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Time2dancecpj/pseuds/Time2dancecpj
Summary: Six years after leaving, Marinette returns home to Paris for one month to visit her parents and brings along Emma, her 5 year old daughter. Now, the struggle is keeping Emma's father from finding out that he is, well, her father. And to make matters worse, Akumas have returned! How will Marinette keep this secret, protect her daughter, save Paris, and revive a lost love? (Also posted on FF.net and Wattpad)





	1. Intro

It was a night neither of them could forget. It started off as a simple meeting and evolved into a huge milestone in their relationship.

The 18 year olds met up for their patrol that night. They had long ago revealed their identities and had been dating ever since. Tonight was the couples three year anniversary.

And Chat had a surprise for his Purrincess.

Upon the sighting, Chat Noir smiled brightly and jumped across the rooftops to where his Ladybug waited. "My Lady!" he called.

Ladybug smiled kindly as a light blush hid behind her red mask. "Evening, Chaton," she said and held her arms out.

Chat gently scooped her up and twirled her around as her hands fastened behind his neck. He peppered her cheeks with kisses. "Happy third, Bugaboo," the hero whispered.

Ladybug giggled at the kisses. She laughed, "you too, Chat." She laid against him, playing with the hairs attached to the nape of his neck.

Chat Noir purred from her touch. "I have a special evening planned."

"Oh?" she whispered.

The leather covered blonde began jumping around Paris, holding onto his Lady. "Yep. Close your eyes."

The Heroine giggled and closed her eyes. She felt the wind fly through her pigtails as they traveled. After a few minutes, she felt Chat land softly.

"You can open your eyes now, Purrincess," Chat Noir whispered and set her down on her feet.

Ladybug smiled and opened her eyes. She gasped at the sight before her. Chat had taken her to his room, but the couch was pushed aside. In its place was a table that held up a romantic looking dinner, complete with a few presents sitting in the center.

"Oh, Adrien," she sighed happily to face him. "Tikki, spots off." When she de-transformed, Marinette was wearing a knee length black dress with green cat paws scattered across her skirt.

"Plagg, claws in." When the transformation dropped, Adrien was wearing a black tux with a red tie and pocket scarf. Plagg flew off with Tikki to the kitchen to find some treats. "Do you like it, Purrincess?" he asked and set his hands on her slim waist.

Mari smiled, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I love it. Thank you, Kitty." The bluenette kissed him softly.

Adrien kissed back, pulling her close. After a few moments, the couple parted lips. Adrien held out Marinette's chair as she sat down. He pushed her closer to the table before taking his own seat across from her.

After a wonderful meal and the sharing of gifts, the duo went to Adrien's bed, cuddling. Marinette placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you."

Adrien smiled and cupped her cheek, kissing her with a bit of hunger. "I love you too."

Marinette giggled and kissed him again, with a large, strong and heated amount of hunger. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Adrien moved his hand down to her waist to kiss her back. He then began to take dominance, pushing her down onto his mattress. His hands glided down her sides as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Marinette moaned at his touch and slowly took off his jacket and tie. She didn't realize what was happening until they were both half naked. She looked up into his emerald eyes.

Adrien panted. "Mari…" he whispered, asking if she wanted this to happen just by saying her name.

The bluenette thought for a brief moment. Did she want this? She looked up at the blonde and smiled shyly. With Adrien, she would do anything. He was her partner, her best friend, the love of her life. As long as it was with him, Mari would do it. Therefore, the girl gave him a simple nod.

After their fun, Adrien held his girl against his chest, kissing her neck softly. Marinette smiled and snuggled into his body for warmth.

"I love you so much, Marinette," Adrien whispered, pulling back and curling his body around hers.

Marinette sighed, "I love you too, Adrien. I'm glad I have this to remember."

The blonde frowned and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

She took in a shaky breath. "My parents…they're sending me away…to America to study fashion. I had no say in it," she said and began crying. "I tried my best to get out of it, but there was no way. I'm sorry, Adrien."

Adrien felt tears well up in his own eyes. He pulled her closer (if that was even possible) and buried his face in her hair. "No don't be sorry. It's not your fault. When…when are you leaving?"

Marinette whimpered out a small "tomorrow." She looked up at him. "I'm scared about what will happen to us."

Adrien kissed her head. "Well, that's okay. I'm not breaking up with you, though. I love you and only you, Marinette."

Mari sniffed. "I love you too, Adrien. I'm still scared. We'll only be able to send letters because my phone wont work across the continents." Her parents wouldn't have enough money to upgrade her phone since it would be such a long distance.

Adrien looked into her blue eyes. "I'll take what I can get. Now, wake up, Mama."

Marinette raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "What?"

The blonde smiled. "Wake up, Mama. We're here. Mama!"

Marinette gasped and opened her eyes. She looked around and let out a breath of relief. She was just replaying the memory. Mari felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked down and smiled at a happy little face.

"Mama! We're here!" Emma, Marinette's 5 year old daughter, giggled while looking out the plane window. "We're in France!"

Mari laughed and stood up, grabbing their luggage from the overhead bin. "Yep! You're gonna see where Mama grew up and see Grandma and Grandpa," she said. Marinette held out her hand.

Emma jumped off the seat and placed her small hand in the palm of her mothers. She grabbed her tiny bag and skipped beside Marinette. Emma was almost an exact replica of her mother. She had dark blue hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail. Freckles danced across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes. And her smile was as brightening as the old heroines. The only difference was Emma's eyes. They were a lovely shade of emerald green.

The young girl nodded. "And Papa?"

Marinette tensed at the question. She had never told Emma who her father was since she never told her father that he had a daughter. After a month of moving to America, before Marinette discovered she was pregnant, she couldn't send letters to Adrien. All the ones she had previously sent came back to her with a "RETURN TO SENDER" stamp on the front.

The young adult planned not to tell him either. Since she has to go back to New York in a month, it would be hard to bring Emma back with her since Adrien lived in Paris. Mari just didn't have the heart to separate a father and daughter, so she thought it would be better to hide the truth. Even though Tikki had disagreed.

"I'm not sure, sweetie," Marinette kissed the top of Emma's head. She walked to baggage claim and grabbed their bigger suitcases. She rolled them as Emma skipped next to her.

Once they stepped foot out of the airport, Marinette took in a deep breath. She laughed as her daughter copied her actions. "Do you wanna walk or take a taxi, sweetie?"

Emma thought for a moment before bursting into a wide smile. "Ladybug!"

Mari sighed. "Really? Now? I'm not sure I'll be able to carry everything," she explained. On late nights when Emma had trouble falling asleep, Marinette would transform into Ladybug and jump across New York, trying to relax her daughter. It worked most of the time. Most.

Emma nodded and jumped up and down. "You can do it, Mama! Now! Now! Now!" she laughed.

The ex-heroine giggled and looked around to find a spot for them. She lead them over behind the wall of the building before letting Tikki out of her purse.

"Tikki!" Emma exclaimed, clapping her hands.

The kwami laughed and sat on Emma's shoulder. "Hi, Emma!"

Marinette quickly snapped a photo of the two. "Tikki, Emma wants Ladybug to take us home." Tikki nodded. Mari smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear for easy access to her earrings. "Tikki! Spots on!"

After a quick transformation, Ladybug was jumping across the rooftops of Paris to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. She could feel Emma's soft giggles on her back. Gripping onto the luggage, she flipped and spun for her little girl.

Ladybug smiled as she saw people point her out, even a few yelling, "wasn't Ladybug dead?" She ran around all her old patrol spots and sighed at the memories.

Finally, after 6 long years away, Marinette was back home with a new miraculous of her own holding onto her back.


	2. Chapter 1

Adrien sighed as he stared up at the large modeling building. “Another boring day,” he mumbled and took a sip off his coffee. Plagg poked his head out of the models jacket.

“Oh, it’s not that boring! Any day that starts off with an omelette is a great day!” the kwami smiled.

Adrien snorted. “Not if it’s a camembert omelette. Can you believe Nathalie gave me a wheel of the stinky cheese for my birthday because I’m always ordering it?”

Plagg sighed dreamily. “That was a magical night.”

The model shuddered and pushed Plagg back into his pocket. He walked into the building, nodding to the receptionist. Adrien took the elevator up to the 31st floor where his office was at. He walked into his office room and locked the door before letting his kwami roam free. Adrien went to his window and opened it up so he could feel the breeze. “Hey, Plagg?”  
“What is it, kid?” Plagg asked, flying over to land on Adrien’s shoulder.

“How…how do you think Father’s doin?” Adrien asked. When he was 16, him and Ladybug found Hawkmoth. They captured him and saved his kwami. Even when Adrien discovered it was his dad, he still turned him in. He was a villain and that was that. From then on, Ladybug and Chat Noir took care of robberies, kidnappings, and other things hero’s did.

The cat kwami sighed. “I don’t know. I’m sure he’s fine, kid.”

Adrien nodded and turned back to his desk to review todays agenda. As he turned, from the corner of his eye, the model swore he saw a flash of red from the window. Adrien shook his head before any theories popped into his head. _It was probably just a bird,_ he thought. Plagg had seen it, though.

“Huh, looks like Ladybugs back.”

Adrien whipped his head around so fast that Plagg thought he would have whiplash. The blonde ran to the window and stared wide-eyed at none other than Ladybug. “Marinette…” Adrien whispered. 

He smiled brightly and ran out his office and went to the stairs. Plagg flew after him. “Kid! Slow down!” he said.

The model ignored him and jumped down the stairs. His Lady, his Purrincess, she was back! Even though she never sent a letter, Adrien still kept his promise, loving her and only her. Adrien pushed open the doors on the ground level and sprinted out of the building, Plagg putting himself in his jacket pocket.

Adrien ran as fast as he could to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery.

_**Miraculous Line Break** _

Emma laughed as they jumped around Paris. “This is so cool, Mama!” she giggled.

Ladybug smiled and landed softly on her old balcony. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, sweetie,” she said and kissed the top of her daughters head after placing their stuff on the ground. “Wanna go inside?”

The little girl nodded. “Yeah!” she jumped up and down excitedly. 

Her mother giggled and kneeled down to Emma’s level. “Now listen, Emma. You can not tell anyone, and I mean anyone, that I am Ladybug. Understand?”

“But why?” Emma asked. She had always seen her mother as the best person ever! Why couldn’t she tell anyone?

“Because if you do, bad things will happen to both of us. Okay?” Ladybug smiled.

Emma thought for a moment before smiling back. “Okay, Mama!” she said happily. 

Ladybug let out a breath of relief. She scooped up Emma in her arms and hugged her tight. “That’s my girl,” she whispered. She grabbed all their bags and jumped in a small alleyway. “Tikki, spots off.”

Marinette gave Tikki a pretzel from the plane as she set her kwami in her purse. “Sorry, Tikki. This is all I have for now. I’ll get you a cookie when we go inside,” she said.

Tikki smiled. “It’s okay, Marinette. This is good for now.”

Mari nodded and grabbed her luggage. She held out her hand for her daughter. Emma put on her small backpack and clutched her mothers hand, following her out of the alleyway.

Marinette took a deep breath and walked towards her parents bakery. She looked down at Emma, wondering if it was okay that they were here uninvited. She just wanted to show her daughter where she grew up.

Mustering up all the courage she could, Marinette walked into the small bakery, slightly flinching at the bells signaling she had entered. Emma gasped as she looked around. “It’s so busy, Mama!” she exclaimed. 

Marinette giggled and squeezed her daughters hand. “Yep! Grandma and Grandpa have the best bakery in all of Paris!” Emma slipped out of Marinettes hand and ran to the front counter, cutting in front of the long line. “Emma! Get back here!”

Emma ignored her mother and all the other customers complaints. She went behind the counter to the blue haired lady at the register. “Excuse me, are you Grandma?” she asked innocently.

Sabine widened her eyes at the little girl. She looked to the back of the line and spotted her embarrassed daughter. She gasped, tears beginning to form. “Marinette! Tom! Marinette’s home!”

Marinette sighed and stepped out of line, heading to the register. “Hi, Maman, Papa. Emma, get back here,” she told her daughter.

Tom and Sabine looked at each other confused. Who was Emma to Marinette? Was she watching a friends kid? “Marinette, take…Emma…and your stuff upstairs. We’ll finish up down here and meet you up there,” Sabine said and kissed her daughters cheek before heading back to register.

Tom hugged his daughter and went to turn the “OPEN” sign to “CLOSED” so no more customers could trickle in. 

Marinette smiled at her parents and lead Emma upstairs. She helped carry bags up to her room and let Tikki out. She smiled at her old room. It was exactly how she left it. Marinette walked over to her desk and frowned at the pictures on her wall. After they started dating, the girl had replaced all her pictures of Adrien with pictures of them together. Whether it be Marinette and Adrien or Ladybug and Chat Noir, she had a picture. 

But looking at them now disgusted her. She tore them all down before Emma could see them.

Speaking of the girl, Marinette turned her head to see Emma talking to Tikki. She smiled at the two. She loved how well they got along. Tikki helped Marinette grow and learn so much. She could only pray her kwami would be a greater influence on her daughter.

Marinette laid down on her bed and let out a breath. It was a long plane ride, especially with a 5 year old. She closed her eyes for a small nap. Just…5…measly…minutes.

“MAMA!”

Nope. 

Marinette sat up and sighed. “What is it, sweetie?”

“There’s a man here.”

Marinette’s eyes almost popped out of her head at Emma’s words. She scrambled off her bed and down to her daughter. “What?”

Emma looked at her. “He’s downstairs. I saw him when I opened the trap door. Is…Is he gonna hurt us?” she asked, her hands clenching into small fists. “I-I promise I didn’t tell anyone you were Ladybug! I swear, Mama!” She began to cry.

Marinette smiled sympathetically and hugged her sobbing daughter. “It’s okay, sweetie. I know you didn’t. You stay up here with Tikki while I go talk to him, okay?” Emma nodded against her mothers chest. “Just yell if you need anything.” Marinette kissed her cheek before heading downstairs. 

A scowl formed on her face when she saw his bright smile. Marinette descended down the stairs and walked over to him. She crossed her arms and glared at him. “What do you want?”

Adrien panted and got on one knee, grabbing her hand and kissing her knuckles. “Welcome home, Purrincess.”


	3. Chapter 2

Marinette scoffed and pulled her hand back. She placed it on her hip and kept her glare as he stood back up. "Bugaboo?" Adrien asked, confused by her harsh actions.

"Don't call me that, Adrien. Explain yourself," Mari demanded.

Adrien, again, was confused by this. "Explain what?"

"The letters! Every single one I sent came back!" she yelled, slight tears forming.

Adrien's eyes widened. "Letters? I never got any letters."

"Did you even send any?"

"Of course! I sent one everyday, but you never sent one back!" he said, defending himself. "Nathalie must have done something with them. Mari, I would never not…wait, I wouldn't have…no. That's not the right wording." Adrien struggled to say the right thing. "I would have never not wanted to not receive nor send a letter from or to you!" The blonde smiled for a few seconds before blinking. "Wait…"

Marinette couldn't hold back a small giggle. "You're still a dork, aren't you?"

Adrien smiled at her. "Only for you." The bluenette rolled her eyes and dropped her glare. She smiled as Plagg flew out of Adrien's jacket pocket.

"Okay, my head hurts now," the kwami complained. "Welcome back, yadda, yadda, yadda. Where's Tikki?" Mari pointed upstairs. "Thanks!" Plagg flew up the stairs to see his friend.

Adrien took a deep breath and reached his hand behind his head to scratch the back of his neck. "Anyways, Marinette, I…I, um, was wondering if…if you wanted to go grab a coffee? We could catch up."

Mari sighed and hugged her sides. "I can't. I've…I have to unpack."

Adrien slightly deflated, but kept up his smile. "Oh, sure! Maybe another time?"

Marinette bit her lip and looked down. "I…I don't think so."

"MAMA!"

Marinette flushed a deep red. Emma came bouncing down the stairs with a wide, bright smile. "Mama, Mama! There's a kitty kwami upstairs and he's so silly!" The little girl giggled.

Adrien widened his eyes at the young child. "Whoa…did not see that coming."

Emma squeaked and hid behind her mothers leg. Frightened tears filled her eyes at the sight of the stranger. "M-Mama, wh-who's that?" she whispered, biting her small lip.

Mari patted her daughters head comfortingly. "Emma, this is…Adrien. An old friend of mine," she said, and thanked her Miraculous that Emma looked like an exact copy of her and not Adrien.

Adrien smiled and kneeled down to Emma's level. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles like he did with her mother. "It's paw-sitively claw-some to meet you, Emma," the model smirked.

Emma giggled. "You're funny!"

Adrien chuckled and ruffled her hair. "If you go talk to Plagg, the kitty kwami upstairs, he'll tell you some even funnier stories."

The young girl gasped, her eyes sparkling. "Really?" Adrien nodded. "I have to go!" Emma giggled and ran back up the stairs.

Adrien laughed and stood up. He looked at Marinette. "Are you gonna tell me?" he whispered for only her to hear.

"Tell you what?" Mari said, looking away from his questioning gaze.

"Who's the father?" Adrien bit his lip, hoping she had not been with anyone while she was in New York. Yes, he had worn the proper…protection. But something could've still happened, right? Emma could still be his?

"Does it matter?" she hissed, looking up as her parents entered the room. "You should go."

Adrien sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger a few seconds more than normal. "I'll text you. I've really missed you, Marinette." He stepped back, smiled at her parents, and slipped out the door, Plagg flying into his pocket when her parents backs were turned.

Marinette sighed and turned around to face her mother and father. "Hi," she smiled nervously.

Sabine crossed her arms. "You have some explaining to do, young lady."

The young adult nodded and called up to her daughter. "Emma! Can you come down here?" Emma bounced down the stairs and stood next to Marinette. Mari smiled and picked her up. She turned towards her parents. "Maman, Papa, this is Emma. She's…she's my daughter."

Sabine covered her mouth as Tom frowned. "Daughter? What do you mean daughter?" Tom asked accusingly. "Who's her father?"

Marinette tried to avert her eyes from Tom's glare. "I…I can't tell you, actually."

"And why is that?"

Emma buried her face into her mothers chest. She gripped Marinettes shirt. "I just can't, okay?"

Tom walked to Marinette and looked down at her. "If you can't tell us, then you can't keep her here."

"What?! Papa! Please!"

"Tom, don't you think that's a little extreme?" Sabine said, placing a hand on her husbands arm.

"Don't you think it's wrong of her to keep this secret?" Tom asked. He turned back to his daughter. "We love you Marinette, but if you can't be honest with us then you can't stay here."

Marinette's mouth hung open. She felt Emma begin to shake in fear. "Papa, you're scaring her," she whispered, rubbing Emma's back. "Fine. We'll leave. It was nice seeing you two," she said and walked upstairs, grabbing their things. Tikki quickly flew into Marinette's purse as she gathered their luggage. Mari managed to carry all their things and save a hand to hold her daughters with as they walked out.

Emma looked up at her mother as they crossed the street outside to the park. She began to cry when they sat down on one of the benches. "I-I'm sorry, Mama! It's all my fault!" she cried. "I shouldn't have been born! I just make things worse!"

Marinette gasped and looked at Emma with wide, worried eyes. She hugged her daughter tight, but not tight enough to harm the girl. "Emma, don't you ever, ever say that again! Do you hear me?" Marinette scolded, kissing the top of Emma's head.

The 5 year old nodded and sniffed.

Mari sighed and pulled Emma onto her lap. She rocked her gently. "I love you so much, Emma. Never forget that, okay?"

Emma nodded. "Okay, Mama."

The designer smiled and rubbed Emma's back. She took out her phone and tried to search for a place to stay. But for a whole month, it would cost a fortune!

"Maybe you could ask Alya if you can stay with her," Tikki suggested, flying out of Marinette's purse and landing on Emma's shoulder.

"I'd love to, Tikki. But Alya wont be home till next week. Her and Nino went out of town," Marinette reminded the kwami.

"Well, there's still someone else who would happily house you," Tikki smiled.

Mari smiled. "Really? Who?" After a knowing look from Tikki, the bluenette groaned. "Do I have to?"

"If you don't want to be in debt from hotel rates."

"Ugh…fine." Marinette picked up her phone and called Adrien.

"Hello?" he answered.

Mari blushed slightly. "Hey Adrien. It's Marinette. Listen, I was wondering if…well, if it's alright if…Emma and I could possibly stay at your house for a few nights? We can't afford a place to stay and Alya doesn't come back till next week so we-"

"Of course!" Adrien cut her off. She could practically feel his smile radiating through the phone. "Where are you? I'll come pick you guys up."

Marinette smiled. "At the park across from the bakery. Thanks, Adrien. We'll be sure to pay you back."

"Don't worry about that, Mari. I don't need anything in return. I'll be over in a few," Adrien said before hanging up.

Emma looked up at her mother. "Where are we going?" she asked.

Marinette brushed her fingers through her daughters ponytail. "We're gonna stay at a friends house for a few nights, alright sweetie?" Emma nodded and laid against her mother. Marinette smiled, pulling out her phone as it buzzed.

_?: I told you not to tell him about Emma._

Mari frowned at the text before replying.

_M: I didn't. And I'm not going to. You're not hurting Emma._

_?: Not yet anyways. He could find out about her and break our deal._

_M: He's not. I'll make sure of it._

Marinette put her phone away when she saw Adrien's car pull up. She hugged her daughter quickly before carrying their things to his car.


	4. Chapter 3

"Whoa! You're house is huge!" Emma gasped as she stepped inside the Agreste mansion.

Adrien chuckled and helped Marinette bring in their bags. "Thanks! Why don't you go take a look around with Plagg and Tikki?" the model suggested, ruffling the young girls hair.

Emma nodded. "Okay!" She laughed as she ran up the stairs, the kwami's flying after her.

Marinette set down a bag with a grunt and looked at Adrien. "That's everything," she said, wiping her forehead. "We can stay in whichever room you'd like."

Adrien thought for a moment. "Well, we only have one guest room. So, Emma can stay there with her own bed and you can sleep with me," the blonde smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Mari blushed a deep shade of red and looked down towards her shoes. "Th-that's not n-necessary. Emma and I can share a room."

Adrien sighed and grabbed Marinette by the waist, pulling her body against his. He bit his lip slightly. "You're so adorable when you blush like that."

The ex-heroine frowned and found herself leaning towards him. She slowly began to close her eyes as he cupped her cheek.

"Mama? Where can I put my backpack?" Young Emma asked from the top of the stairs.

Marinette's eyes flew open and she pushed away out of Adrien's arms. "I-I'll show you, sweetie!" She stuttered. Mari kept her gaze on her daughter as she gathered their bags and ran off to the guest bedroom, Emma hot on her heels. Luckily, she remembered where the room was. After setting their bags aside, Marinette flopped onto the bed, grabbed a pillow, and proceeded to scream her head off into it.

"Mama?" Emma asked, climbing onto the bed and into her mothers lap. "Are you okay?"

The bluenette sighed and threw the pillow off the bed. She sat up and collected Emma in her arms. "I'm fine, sweetie. Just…tired, is all."

Emma nodded and kissed her mothers cheek. "You should get some sleep then, Mama."

Mari giggled and laid down, holding Emma. "Let's both get some sleep." Marinette was about to shut her eyes when Tikki flew into the room, looking almost out of breath.

"Marinette!" Tikki said, panicking. "There's an…an akuma!"

Marinette bolted up. "What? How? Hawkmoth's in jail! There can't be any akumas."

Tikki shook her head. "I know, but Marinette, look!" The kwami pointed towards the window. Outside, there was a young boy. Well, sort of. He had tall, spiky hair dyed bright orange. He wore a blue jumpsuit with spikes all across the sides. He was throwing pieces of paper at people. When the person got hit, they would be forced to walk back the way they came, preventing them from going to where was needed. "Paris needs Ladybug!"

Marinette knew she had to transform. "But what about Emma? I can't leave her here," she explained. Not when He knew where she was. Mari couldn't leave the young girl alone.

"Maybe you could keep her close, but not enough that she would get hurt?" Tikki suggested.

Mari bit her lip and nodded. "That seems like the only option right now. Tikki! Spots on!" Once Ladybug, the bluenette picked up Emma and jumped outside. "Now listen to me, Emma," Ladybug said when they landed on a nearby roof. "Stay here and don't move. If anyone comes up here or you need something, scream as loud as you can, alright?"

Emma nodded. "Okay, Mama."

"Hello, My Lady!" Chat Noir said, landing beside her on the roof. He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly.

Emma screamed. "MAMA! THERE'S SOMEONE HERE!" she managed to get out between her shrieks.

Ladybug covered her mouth. "Shh! Emma, it's okay! He's okay. He's the only exception to that rule, okay?"

Emma nodded and took her mothers hand off her mouth. She looked the man up and down. "Who are you?"

Chat smirked and took a knee, looking at the young girl. "Paw-don me for scaring mew, Tiny Purrincess. I'm Chat Noir. It's paw-sitivley claw-some to meet mew," he said and winked at her.

Emma blinked and giggled. "I'm Emma. You're funny. You remind me of Mama's friend."

Chat Noir looked up at Ladybug. "Is that so?" Ladybug shook her head, asking him not to tell her. The hero looked back at Emma. "I'll have to meet him one day."

Ladybug let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Alright, Kitty. Play time's over."

Chat stood up and scooted over to Ladybug. "So what's the plan?"

Ladybug watched the villain move around. "It looks like the akuma is in the piece of paper in his pocket."

Chat nodded. "Got it. I'll distract him," he said and lowered his voice. "Are we gonna talk about that almost kiss?"

Ladybug frowned, blushed, and glared at him. "Do you always have to talk about everything?"

Chat Noir grinned. "Of course, Bugaboo!" He winked at her before flipping off the building, headed towards the akumatized boy. "Hey! What's got you all spiked, kid?"

The boy snarled. "I'm not 'kid!' I'm Ticket Master! My mom wouldn't let me see Jagged Stone even though I had a ticket. So now, no one can go where they want!" Ticket Master laughed and started throwing paper, wait, tickets, at Chat Noir.

The hero smiled and fought them off with his baton. His smile brightened as Ladybug came down to join him. She threw her yo-yo, trying to tie up the kids arms. She smiled when she pinned him down. Ladybug pulled the boy close. But one of the spikes on him cut her arm, causing her to bleed. She yelped in pain and let go of her yo-yo, setting the boy free.

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir ran over to his partner and spun his baton to prevent any tickets fro, hitting them. "Are you alright?"

Ladybug hissed as she moved her arm, but grabbed her yo-yo anyways. "I'll manage. There's gotta be some other way to get his ticket without getting hurt. Lucky Charm!" Ladybug smiled at her old phrase. She threw her yo-yo in the air, sparkles flying out from it. The sparkles collected to give her…a blade? This was definitely a more dangerous Charm.

She looked around, trying to figure out how to use it. "Hmm." Ticket Masters spiked hair, a kiosk behind him, and a nearby car, all glowed with her familiar Ladybug print. Ladybug smiled. "Chat! I need y-" she was cut off by a scream.

Emma's scream.

Ladybug widened her eyes and looked up towards her daughter. Her heart sped up at the sight. A tall, burly man had his arms wrapped around her, trying to get her to keep quiet. "Emma," she whispered. Ladybug was about to jump up to save her, when Chat placed a clawed hand on her shoulder.

"Get Ticket Master. I'll get Emma," he said and ran towards the building.

Ladybug trusted her partner, but it was also her daughter. She bit her lip and prepared to defeat this akuma as quick as possible. Ladybug threw the dagger at Ticket Master, slicing his hair and sticking into the kiosk being him. The heroine quickly ran to the car, jumped onto the top of it and flipped off. She flew above him and grabbed the ticket out of his shirt pocket since his hair was out of the way.

Ladybug landed and tore the ticket in half. A purple and black butterfly fly out of the ripped up paper. "No more evil doing for you, little akuma," Ladybug said, preparing her yo-yo. "Time to de-evilize!" She quickly caught the akuma and purified it. "Gotcha!" She smiled as it flew off as a white butterfly. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." The bluenette grabbed the dagger from out of the kiosk and tossed it into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Everything went back to normal with those two words. Ladybug would have stayed to talk to the interviewers about her return, but ran off. She had to get to Emma.


	5. Chapter 4

Ladybug jumped up onto the buildings roof with the help of her yo-yo. She landed in a fighting position, ignoring the piercing pain in her arm, which was still bleeding greatly. "Emma!" she exclaimed, watching as the man held her daughter in his arms.

Chat faced the man, leaping out to hit him with his baton. The man grabbed the staff and threw it across the rooftop. Chat Noir growled. "You just made a big mistake!" he yelled and began fighting with his fists.

Emma took in a deep breath and bit down on the mans arm, digging her small teeth into his skin. The man yelped and pulled his arm away, freeing the little girl. Emma ran over to her mother and hugged her tightly. "Mama!"

Ladybug smiled and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The heroine collected the small girl in her arms and squeezed her tight. "Oh sweetheart! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" the mother asked, panicking.

Emma shook her head. "No, Mama. I'm okay." she whispered, slightly shaking.

Ladybug nodded and watched as the man started to run off.

"Oh no you don't!" Chat sneered and sprung up to chase him.

"Wait!" Ladybug grabbed her partners tail, holding him back. "Chat! Let him go. I need your help." Chat frowned as the criminal ran off, but turned around to face his Bugaboo. "I can't carry Emma with my arm, can you?"

Chat Noir widened his eyes at her arm and nodded. "O-Of course! I can carry the both of you, My Lady. Please let me help you," he whispered.

Ladybug shook her head. "I can manage," she said. Ladybug threw her yo-yo at Chat's staff and pulled it back to him.

The hero sighed and picked up Emma, placing her on his back before following Ladybug back to his house.

Emma clutched onto Chat as they flew across the buildings. She kept glancing over at her mother who seemed to be growing weaker with every building. "Chat Noir?" she whispered.

"Yes, Tiny Purrincess?"

"Is my Mama gonna be okay?"

Chat looked over at Ladybug. "Of course she is. Don't worry."

Ladybug felt her breath quicken even as she was slowing down. Maybe she should've taken up Chat's offer to carry her. Even though there were only five more rooftops, the bluenette knelt down on one to take a breather. She clutched her arm tightly as her vision began to blur. Ladybug could've sworn she heard her daughters voice before fainting.

_**Miraculous Line Break** _

"Hey, Bugaboo. Can you hear me?"

"Adrien, are these the things you needed?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Marinette groaned and slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the sudden brightness. After taking a few seconds to adjust to the light, she looked around the, surprisingly dim, room. She was laying on Adriens bed with two men looking down at her. The one on her right was definitely Adrien. The one to her left, though, was new.

He had black hair that swept across to the right. He had brown eyes that peered at her through a, rather fashionable, pair of black glasses. He wore a light blue button down with a loose grey tie.

Marinette would be lying if she said she didn't think he was hot.

"Marinette! How're you feelin?" Adrien asked, adjusting her bandage that was now on her arm.

"Eh," she whispered. "Emma." Marinate bolted straight up, clutching her head when a sharp pain shot through it. "Emma! Where is she?"

"Calm down, Marinette," the new guy said. "She's fine."

"And who are you?"

The man smiled, his smile curving upward slightly more on the left corner. "Enzo Maxime. A Pleasure to meet you, Miss. Dupain-Cheng," Enzo said and nodded to her in a bow like fashion. "I'll leave you and Adrien to talk."

Marinette waited till Enzo had left the room to face the, slightly fuming, blond. "Wanna explain?"

Adrien sighed. "After my dad was locked up, Nathalie hired Enzo to look after the company. He's really nice, actually. And I've checked him over a million times. There's no sign of evil in him."

The bluenette nodded and laid back down. "How's Tikki?"

"She's good. Just worried about you," Adrien said, grabbing Marinette's hand softly.

Emma watched from the crack in the door. Tikki sat on the child's shoulder, nibbling on a cookie. "Tikki, this is my fault, isn't it?" Emma whispered and started walking back to the room Adrien had given her.

"Why would you think this is your fault, Emma?" the kwami asked.

"Because I have bad luck."

Tikki had to restrain herself from coming back with 'just like your father.' "That doesn't make it your fault."

Emma sighed and sat on the bed, clutching a pillow tightly. Plagg flew into the room with another plate of cookies for Emma and Tikki. The girl smiled and petted the cat kwami's head when he landed in her lap. "Thanks, Plagg. Hey, can I ask you guys something?"

"No."

Tikki smacked Plagg in the back of his head. "Of course you can, Emma. What is it?"

Emma grabbed a cookie and flipped it around in her hands. "Do you think Adrien is my Papa?"

Plagg looked to Tikki for an answer.

Emma laughed. "I know. He's not my Papa. Mama would've told me if he was. But…do you think…I could ask him if he could be my Papa?"

Plagg smiled. "Eh, sure. Why not?"

Tikki smacked him once again. "You should talk to your Mama about it before you ask him," the red kwami suggested.

Emma nodded. "Okay." She heard a knock on the door and turned to see Adrien smiling at her.

"Hey, Emma. Wanna help me?" he asked, stepping inside the room.

"With what?" the girl asked, hopping off the bed and skipping over to him.

"A surprise for Marin-for Mama."

Emma gasped, her eyes twinkling. "Yeah!"

Adrien laughed and grabbed her small hand, leading her to the kitchen. "Alright! She's gonna love it!"

_**Miraculous Line Break** _

"Alright! She's gonna hate it!" Adrien panicked as he looked at their creation. The model wanted to make Marinette a simple get-well-soon cake. But…things got a little out of hand. First was the apron modeling that they just HAD to do because how are you gonna make a cake if you're not wearing the right attire? Next was the internet search for How-To-Make-A-Cake that turned into too many cute animal videos that the two cried over. Then there was the food gathering, flour pouring, egg cracking, Enzo meeting, batter mixing, baking, decorating, and puns. Lots, and lots, of puns.

Emma looked at the cake fearfully through her flour coated bangs. "Mama's not gonna like this."

Adrien ran a hand through his icing covered hair. "Nope. Not one bit."

"What am I not gonna like?"

The baking duo screamed and turned to face a, somewhat better looking, Marinette.

"P-Purrincess! I-uh-I-um-what are you doing here?" Adrien fumbled, blushing red, though it was hard to tell since his face was covered in flour and sugar.

"I just came to grab a glass of water. What are you two doing?" she asked.

"We baked a cake for you!" Emma said, pointing to said disaster that sat on the table.

Marinette looked at the creation and turned back to the two. She gave them a sympathetic smile. "Well, it was a nice thought." She bent down and wiped some icing off of Emma's cheek before giving her a big smooch. The tiny girl laughed.

Adrien smiled brightly and wiped off a spot on his cheek for a kiss. He closed his eyes and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"Yeah, not gonna happen," Marinette rolled her eyes and stood back up.

Adrien gasped. "What? No fair! I made it too!"

Mari laughed. "You're so immature!" She pulled out her phone when it rang and frowned at the number. "I gotta take this." She stepped out of the kitchen and answered it. "What do you want? I didn't tell him!"

_"Why were they doing stuff together?"_

The bluenette rolled her eyes. "Hey, since you see everything, you knew I was hurt and was laying in bed to rest. If I was awake and moving around I would've stopped them! I'm pretty sure Adrien hasn't figured it out!"

"Miss. Dupain-Cheng? Is everything alright?" Enzo asked as he walked by.

Marinette smiled. "Yes, thank you. And you can just call me Marinette."

Enzo smiled at her. "As you wish, Marinette." He gave her a small wink before walking away.

Marinette smiled shyly at him.

_"Hey! Focus!"_

She frowned. "Oh, give me a break! What do you want me to do? There's no way I can keep this secret forever, ya know?"

"You will."

"I can go in there and tell them right now," Mari smirked.

_"And I can ruin both their lives just as easily."_

Marinette sighed. "Fine. I'll stay quiet," she muttered. "Hey, did you send that akuma? I thought Hawkmoth was in jail?"

_"Well, aren't you little miss full of questions? But no, I didn't send any akumas. I have no Kwami. I've got to go. I'm sure we'll be chatting real soon."_


	6. Chapter 5

"Miss. Dup- Marinette? Breakfast is ready," Enzo called as he knocked on her door.

Marinette yawned and sat up, careful not to disturb her daughter who was still asleep next to her. The bluenette grudgingly walked to the door and opened it slightly. "Oh, thanks, Enzo. I assume Adrien is already waiting downstairs?" she smiled.

The black haired man chuckled slightly. "Yes, he is. And he requests that Emma is brought pancakes in bed so you can join him alone."

Marinette frowned. "Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

Enzo nodded, gave her a smile, and walked back towards the stairs.

Mari sighed and closed the door. She went to her bags and pulled out a simple, white, v-neck shirt and a pair of jean shorts. Grabbing her hair brush, Marinette headed to the bathroom to get changed. After a few minutes, she reemerged into the bedroom and smiled at the sight on her bed.

Emma had woken up and was currently chatting with Tikki about her most recent dream. "And then, Chat Noir and Adrien started telling each other funny things! I laughed so hard I threw up rainbow ice cream!" Emma giggled. "But all I had to eat was spaghetti!" The little girl laughed and held her stomach.

Marinette smiled and walked over to her daughter. She kissed the girls forehead and sat behind her, brushing out the knots from her blue hair. "Sounds like quite the dream."

"Yeah!" Emma smiled. "And Mama! Guess what?"

"What?" Mari asked.

"You were married to Adrien!"

Marinette froze and looked down at her daughter. She sighed and hugged her. "Listen, Emma. You know that's not true, right? I can't marry him."

"Why?" Emma asked, confused.

"Because I said so."

Emma thought for a moment before widening her eyes, gasping loudly. "OH! I get it! You love Chat Noir! Not Adrien!" Emma giggled. "I'm so silly!"

Marinette let out a sigh and shook her head. "Yes, you are definitely silly," she smiled, standing up. "Emma, you're gonna have some breakfast in here with Tikki and Plagg. I'm gonna go downstairs."

Emma frowned. "Aww. Okay," she whispered and picked up the brush, continuing to untangle her own hair.

Mari sighed. "Tikki, make sure she's okay, okay?"

The kwami nodded. "Of course, Marinette."

The young adult gave Tikki a smile before heading downstairs. She went into the dining room and spotted Adrien sitting at the long table. He wore a green t-shirt with a black jacket over top, along with a pair of dark jeans. He looked up and smiled brightly. "Morning, Marinette!"

Marinette gave him a small smile. She sat next to him where the other place setting was made. "Morning. So…talk."

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Talk? About what?"

Mari crossed her arms. "C'mon, Adrien. There's obviously something you want to say because you had Emma stay upstairs. So tell me."

The model sighed. "Fine. I just…I want to know who Emma's father is."

"Adrien, I told you. It doesn't matter."

"But it does to me! Marinette, is…is Emma my daughter?" Adrien whispered, leaning close so only she could hear.

Marinette refused to meet his gaze. "Adrien! Stop pestering about it! If I wanted to tell you, I would've!" She stood her ground, determined to keep her lips sealed.

Adrien sighed and put his arm around the back of her chair. "Marinette? Purrincess, look at me."

The bluenette sighed and turned to face him. "What do yo-mmph!"

Her sentence was stopped midway by a pair of lips finding themselves against her own. Adrien placed a hand on her cheek and shut his eyes, enjoying the moment.

Marinette, on the other hand, had other plans.

She pulled away, her face bright red. Mari stood up and felt hot tears brimming her eyes. She bit her lip and slapped her hand across the blonds face. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" she screamed, fighting back tears.

Adrien smirked and held his red cheek. "It was worth a shot."

Marinette gasped and narrowed her eyes. "How dare you! We're you just trying to take advantage of me?"

Adrien bolted up and shook his head. "No! No, Mari it was nothing like that, I swear!"

"Then what was it?"

The model was at a loss for words. "I-I-I…I just…"

Marinette stormed past him. "Emma and I will be out for the day," she said and stomped up the stairs. The bluenette wiped her eyes and walked into the guest room. "Get dressed, Emma. We're heading out."

Emma looked over at her mother. "But, Mama. I'm not finished eating."

"That's fine. We'll get something while were out," Marinette said, grabbing her purse and wallet.

Emma sighed and hopped out of bed. She got dressed in a simple pink sundress and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She followed her mother as they left the room. Tikki flew onto her shoulder.

Marinette grabbed Emma's hand and walked out of the mansion. They didn't make it far before they heard Adrien's voice.

"Marinette! Please wait! I'm sorry!" Adrien said catching up to them.

Emma gasped and smiled. "Adrien! Guess what? I had a dream last night and you were in it!"

Adrien ignored the little girl. "What I did was wrong of me. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me. I just…I want things to be the way they were. Before you left."

Emma's smile faded. She stepped back slightly and kept her head down, realizing he wasn't paying attention to her.

Marinette sighed. "But they can't be that way again, Adrien. Everything's changed."

"Then let's start over," Adrien smiled and grabbed her free hand. "Marinette, may you grant me the honor of taking you out on a date?"

Mari frowned and pulled her hand away. "I appreciate it, but I can't leave Emma alone for that long."

"Then she can come with us! Please, just today. And if you don't like it," Adrien bit his lip, "then we can just forget it."

Emma exchanged a glance with Tikki. She smiled as Plagg flew over and sat next to the other kwami on her shoulder.

Marinette sighed, licking her lips. "Fine. One day."

Adrien smiled and hugged her, causing Marinette's hand to leave her daughters. "Thank you, Purrincess! I'll make sure you don't regret it!"

Emma smiled at the hug. "Is Adrien coming with us, Mama?"

Marinette rolled her eyes and pushed the model off of her. "Yes he is. Now, come on. We're gonna have some fun today!"

Emma giggled and held her mothers and Adrien's hands, standing in between them as they began their walk through the city.

_**Miraculous Line Break** _

Around dinner time, the trio decided to head home.

Well, it was more like a duo with an extra.

Tikki and Plagg had hid in Marinette's purse so they wouldn't be seen. That left Marinette, Adrien, and little Emma.

Throughout the day, Adrien made sure he did everything he could to make Marinette happy. About half way through their date day, Marinette began to warm up to Adrien and even hold his hand.

Emma was pushed away from her spot in-between. Eventually, Emma had decided to stay quiet, knowing that anything she said would be ignored by the adults. So she stayed quiet and stayed in the back.

As they headed home, Emma silently thanked the sun for setting. Maybe now she could get some attention. After all, she is a five year old. And what do five year olds crave more than anything? You guessed it! Attention.

Therefore, when Marinette had said her goodnights to Adrien and headed upstairs, Emma happily followed, asking Enzo if he could bring them some dinner.

Emma bounced into the room. "Now it's Emma and Mama time!" she laughed and ran around.

Marinette sighed and laid on the bed. "Sweetie, I'm feeling tired from that adventurous day. I think I'm gonna take a little nap."

Emma stopped running and nodded. "Okay, Mama. I'll find someone else to play with."

Marinette smiled at her. "Thank you, Sweetie. I love you."

Emma gasped and smiled brightly. "I love you too, Mama!" She giggled and ran out of the room. Emma skipped to Adrien's room and knocked on the door. "Adrien! Are you in there?"

Adrien opened the door and smiled at the little girl. "Hey, Emma. What's up?"

"Wanna play with me?" Emma asked, bouncing on the tips of her toes.

The model sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I'd love to, Emma. But I have to get ready for work tomorrow."

Emma stood still and nodded, her smile slightly falling. "Oh, okay." She skipped away from the door and down the stairs. "I guess I'll just play by myself," she whispered when she saw the empty dining room.

The young girl climbed onto the table and began to dance around, singing her own song. After a few moments, she slowed to a stop and looked around. Sighing, Emma sat down and dangled her legs off the edge. "This is not fun at all."

Emma hopped off the table and padded over to the kitchen. She saw Enzo inside and walked over to him. "Hey, Enzo?"

The man looked down at her and smiled. "Hey, Emma."

"Are you busy?" she asked.

Enzo nodded. "A little bit. Why?"

Emma sighed and kept her head down. "Nothing." She walked out and went back to the table. Emma crawled underneath. "I guess I'll just stay in this cave tonight."

She curled herself into a ball and yawned. "Maybe tomorrow they can play."


	7. Chapter 6

Adrien yawned as he walked down the stairs the next morning. He headed to the dining room, fixing his tie for work. Before he sat down, some blue caught his eye. Adrien kneeled down and smiled at the sleeping Emma underneath the table. The model reached out and pulled her towards him, picking her up off the ground.

Emma groaned and woke up. She smiled sleepily. "Good morning, Adrien."

The blonde began to carry her upstairs. "Morning, Emma. Why were you sleeping under the table? That's no place for little girls like you."

Emma pursed her lips and looked away from his questioning gaze. "I was playing," she said. "By myself."

Adrien nodded. "I see. Again, I'm sorry, Emma. When I get home, we can play, okay?"

The little girl shook her head forcefully. "No! I'm gonna play with Mama!"

Adrien chuckled and walked into the guest room, setting Emma on the bed next to her mother. "Alright. Tell Mama if she needs anything to give me a call, okay?" He ruffled Emma's hair before walking out of the room.

Emma crawled to her mother and snuggled into her arms. "Mama! Wake up!"

Marinette yawned and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled at her daughter and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Hey, Emma."

"Mama, I want Ladybug."

Mari sighed. "Now? I just woke up, sweetie."

Emma sat up. "Yes now! Now, now, now!"

The designer nodded and got out of bed. She woke up Tikki and transformed. "Where would you like to go, Little Bug?"

Emma laughed and jumped up and down excitedly. "Can we go to the Triangle?"

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. "The Triangle?"

The little girl nodded and pointed out the window. "Yeah! The Triangle!"

The heroine looked outside and laughed. "Oh! You mean the Eiffel Tower! I don't see why not," she said and picked up her daughter. Ladybug jumped out the window and used her yo-yo to land on top of the tower.

Emma held onto her mother as she looked around. Her young eyes widened at the marvelous sights around them. "Whoa. Why would you move away from all this, Mama?"

Ladybug sighed. "It's a long story, Little Bug."

Emma nodded. She looked up at her mothers eyes. "Mama…is Adrien my Papa?"

The heroine widened her eyes and snapped her gaze to her daughters. "W-What?! H-How did…"

Emma gasped. "He is? Really?" She smiled brightly. "I was hoping he was and now I know he is!"

Ladybug shook her head. "No, Emma! He's not!" She tried to convince the young girl, but she knew it was no use. A scream was heard from the streets below. Ladybug looked down and saw another villain.

An older lady, about mid to late thirties, was terrorizing the streets of Paris. She wore a bright blue dress with a pure white apron tied on top. Her hair was colored a fiery red so she looked almost like the flag of France. She seemed to be pulling different ingredients and cooking utensils out of the pocket on her apron. The lady was currently throwing globs of honey at citizens, causing them to get stuck in their spots.

"Emma, stay here," Ladybug said, setting the young girl down on the tower. "Do not try to go anywhere. I will be back as fast as I can, okay?"

Emma nodded and sat down on the wide platform. She watched as her mom jumped down to fight the akuma. Suddenly, a white cloth covered her mouth and nose. Emma tried to scream and wiggle free, but the cloth prevented a sound to escape and whatever had her had a firm grip on her.

"Shh. Just breath," the voice said.

Emma felt tears fill her eyes as the chemical from the cloth filled lungs. She felt herself grow drowsy and give into the chemical. Emma blacked out and fell back into her captures arms.

The capture wickedly smiled and collected the young girl in her arms. He set down a note where Emma once sat before jumping off into the night.

_Ladybug,_

_I warned you, and now you'll pay the price._

_Well, Emma will pay the price._

_X_


	8. Chapter 7

Chat Noir came to the scene soon after it had started. He quickly helped Ladybug defeat the akuma, since they've dealt with a Food-Akuma before. After she had let the butterfly go, the hero raced after her to the Eiffel Tower to greet Emma.

But no such luck.

"Emma! Come out! This isn't funny!" Ladybug called, looking around where she had left Emma just moments before.

The blonde helped to look but couldn't find the young girl. He tried to pick up her scent, but unfortunately, it was too difficult to differentiate from some sort of chemical smell. Chat did, however, find a small note. "My Lady," Chat Noir said, handing her the note.

Ladybug grabbed the note and read it. A worrisome frown covered her face. "Oh no…Emma!" She then took off running across Paris, searching for any sign of her precious daughter. "Emma! Emma say something!"

Chat followed her and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Hey, hey, Bugaboo. Yelling her name isn't gonna do anything to help. We need to have a plan."

The bluenette turned to her partner, tears spilling over her mask. "No! Adrien you don;t understand! I-I have no idea wh-where he could've taken her, or…or what he could be doing to her…I need to find her!"

"And we will!" Chat said, gripping her shoulders. "I promise. Just relax and-"

"I can't!" Ladybug cut him off. "She's my daughter, Chat! I can't stop worrying about her! And neither should you!"

Chat Noir blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

The heroines mouth formed a small "o" when she realized her slip up. She bit her lip. "Chat…Adrien…Emma knows so you should too. She actually figured it out on her own, my smart girl," Ladybug whispered. "Adrien…Emma's your daughter. You're her father."

_**Miraculous Line Break** _

Emma woke up in a small bed with only a pillow and a blanket to keep her company. Rubbing her eyes, the small girl sat up and looked around the room she was currently inside. There was no windows; only four grey, boring walls with a door on the one to her right. Her bed, a desk, and a chair seemed to be the only furniture within.

"Mama?" the green-eyed girl called out. "Mama! Tikki! Adrien! I'm scared!"

"Oh, don't be scared, my butterfly," a dark voice whispered from behind the door.

Emma gulped and clutched the blanket in small fists. "Wh-who are you? I want to go home! I want my Mama!" She began to cry.

"This is your home now, Emma. Everything will be just fine. I promise."

"No!" Emma threw the blanket over her head to block out the noise. She cried into her lap. "Mama…Chat Noir…please save me," she whispered.

_**Miraculous Line Break** _

"Hurry up, Tikki. We need to find her," Marinette said to her kwami as she nibbled on a cookie to recharge. Beside her sat Plagg, scarfing down a block of camembert.

"Okay, so, let me get this straight," Adrien said as he paced across his bedroom floor. "When we did 'The Thing' when we were eighteen, I got you pregnant, but you didn't know till you were in New York, and you tried telling me but none of the letters got through, then this guy started threatening to hurt Emma and me if you revealed who the father was, and then you came here and Emma figured it out, therefore that guy took her, and now you're telling me a man kidnapped my daughter?!"

Marinette chuckled nervously. "Y-yeah. Basically."

The model gripped his hair. "My daughter. Emma's my daughter. I'm a father," he whispered, smiling happily. "Emma's my little girl. Our little girl. A child with you." Then he snarled, narrowing his eyes. "And someone is keeping her hostage doing who knows what to her."

Marinette brushed some crumbs off of Tikki. "Yes. Which is why we have to go save her."

Adrien nodded. "Anyone who lays a hand on her will be going to bed with a broken nose," he threatened.

The bluenette sighed and looked out the window. "Hang in there, Little Bug. We're on our way."


	9. Chapter 8

Chat Noir sped across the rooftops, trying to pick up Emma's scent. He growled in frustration.

"Adrien, calm down. We're not going to be able to find Emma if you don't have a level head," Ladybug explained, running alongside him.

"I can't just 'calm down,' Mari! There's so much happening and I just need something secure!" Chat countered, pausing on a rooftop where he smelled the girls fragrance.

The heroine grabbed his hands and squeezed them slightly. "Hey, listen, alright? I want Emma as much as you do. But you really need to calm down, okay? Getting this angry is exactly what he wants, and-"

"Who?"

Ladybug blinked. "Who? What do you mean?"

"Who is 'he'?" Chat Noir questioned.

The bluenette gulped and averted her eyes away from his questioning gaze. "'He' is…is your Father, okay? When he came to New York for a fashion show, I went to him and told him about our baby. He said I wasn't allowed to tell you because it would ruin your career. I mean, Adrien Agreste with a teen pregnancy? That would ruin you! So he threatened you and Emma, saying he would make sure she couldn't go anywhere in life." Ladybug had begun to tear up as she explained everything to him. "I-I thought…I-I figured I shouldn't take any chances, a-and I couldn't risk you, o-or Emma. I'm s-so so-sorry, Adrien! I tried to do what was best!"

Chat Noir pulled the sobbing woman into his arms, rubbing her back. "Marinette…it's…it's okay. I would've done the same thing," he whispered and kissed the top of her head. He pulled away, but kept his hands on her shoulders. "Let's go save our daughter and show my Father a thing or two about messing with Paris's superhero's."

Ladybug took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. Let's save our little girl," she smiled.

Chat nodded, sending her a smirk before running off, following Emma's newly found scent.

_**Miraculous Line Break** _

Emma sang a little song to herself as she sat on her bed, wrapped up in the blanket. Her face was covered in tear stains. Her fingers bruised and bleeding from banging on the door. The man still hadn't let her out. All she wanted to do was go home.

"My Little Butterfly," the man sung. "Dinner's ready." He opened the door and slid in a tray of food. He sighed as he looked at her untouched lunch tray. "My Butterfly, you have to eat."

"No!" Emma spat, curling up into the blanket even more. "Mama and Chat Noir are gonna come and save me!"

The man sneered and snatched the blanket off of her. He grabbed her by the hair, lifting her above the bed. "Listen here, you stupid Butterfly!" He brought her to the window, smashing her face against the glass. "They're not coming for you!"

Emma cried, clawing at his hand to let her go. She felt his nails dig into her scalp as she tried to wiggle free. "Let go of me! It hurts!"

"Suck it up!" The man shook her. "They're not coming! Look! You're staying here with me forever!"

Then, Emma felt his grip loosen. She fell onto the bed with a small _thud_. The little girl reached her hands up and massaged her head, trying to get rid of the stinging sensation. Emma looked down and saw the man asleep on the floor. Above him stood a pair of glowing green eyes.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her, Father," Chat Noir hissed. The hero put his baton behind his back, ignoring the striking fact that he used it to knock-out his own Father. He lowered his glare and looked at the young girl. "Emma?"

Emma's green eyes lit up, a smile gracing her lips. "Chat Noir!"

The blonde felt tears well up in his eyes. "Emma," he sighed and scooped her up, hugging her tight. His daughter—his _daughter_ —was here. She was hurt badly, but she was here. She was alive and breathing and his _daughter._

Emma wrapped her tiny arms around around his neck, hugging him back. "Chat! You saved me!"

Chat Noir pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, which he now realized matched his own. "Emma, Little Purrincess. This is gonna sound…weird…but believe me, okay?" Emma nodded. "Okay. Emma…I'm Adrien. And I'm your Papa."

"Papa?" Emma whispered.

"Yeah."

The little girl smiled wide and buried her face in his neck. "Papa! Adrien! You're Papa!"

Chat Noir smiled and placed loving kisses across her temples and the top of her head. "Yes. Yes I am. And now we need to get back to Mama. Hold on, okay?"

Emma nodded. She gripped onto his shoulders and clung to her Father as he ran back through the building, using his staff to protect the young girl. Chat headed onto the roof where Ladybug was waiting.

Well, that was where he was headed. But when he got to roof, his Lady was missing.

"Ladybug?"

"Mama?"


End file.
